Leasing land requires presentations and this is

Publication date: 20 April 2015

Blurb:

Handsome tycoon James Putnam is acting CEO of his family's logging company, Putnam Industries. He needs to land a big deal to prove to the board he's capable of leading the company.  If not, his father's right hand man is more than willing to fill the role.  James hurries to Indigo Island alone, uncertain he has what it takes to win the bid, earn the CEO title and save the island from uncontrolled logging.

Aubrey Templeton, is a gorgeous magazine reporter facing a mountain of debt after her parents' tragic deaths.  The only asset she has to leverage is 2,500 acres of old growth forest on Indigo Island. She hired Dirk Cooley, a forester, to create a forest management plan for her family's land and to solicit multiple loggers bids to lease the land.  Aubrey insists James Putnam's company is included since she still hasn't forgotten the one night of incredible sex they shared over a year ago, and she's sure he'll be eager for a repeat performance.

What Aubrey doesn't know is that James is a changed man, who is determined to prove he didn't get his job as a birth right.  He is determined to never again mix business with pleasure, although keeping Aubrey at arms length during their negotiations tests James' discipline and will power, especially as he finds himself in the role of tour guide for the sexy landowner and later as her protector when an unscrupulous forester targets them both in a revenge plot hatched to destroy the Putnam family.

Review:

I have never read a book by this author and so can only review this book as a stand-alone although it is the fourth book in the series (which I did not realise at the time I requested it).

This book obviously runs along the formula established in the previous three books and may well even contain characters from those previous books and who may make a return in subsequent books in the series.

I did feel as though I had missed something coming into the series on this book and Aubrey’s constant mention of her previous encounter with James and her constant wittering on about wanting to have further relations with him to complete the circle.  Honestly how silly can you be – but then she obviously is not in her right mind (having recently lost her family).

I loved the backdrop story whereby the action was not just concentrated on the two main characters but also the preservation of a forested area.  That said there was a sort of insta-attraction/insta-love element to the story too and the inevitable HEA ending.

This is a light and fast paced story which is told from the point of view of each of the main characters, which added some insight into their motives.  It is a fast read too.  As already stated this was my first novella by this author but I may well be looking for more of her work.

The copy I received was an Advance Readers Copy which had a lot of typographical errors where words were split or joined together which I found rather distracting.  It is this reader’s fervent hope that these errors are eradicated before the novella goes to press.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Goodreads (3 stars) and Amazon (4 stars).

Who was the master of the shadows - we have yet to find out

Blurb:

In a land riven with plague, in the infamous Walled City, two families vie for control - the Medicis with their genius inventor Leonardo; and the Lorraines with Galileo, the most brilliant alchemist of his generation.

And when two star-crossed lovers, one from either house, threaten the status quo, a third, shadowy power - one that forever seems a step ahead of all of the familial warring - plots and schemes, and bides its time, ready for the moment to attack ....

Review:

I am not really sure what to say about this novel even after pondering on it for quite a while.  I wanted to like it so much but there are just some things that troubled me.  (I won’t be going into the plot as I want this review to guide you but not influence you and doing that does not include repeating parts of the novel or revealing the plot.)

This is a steampunk version of Romeo and Juliet, with a little bit of Macbeth thrown in, set in an alternative Italy.  The story made wonderful use of ancient and modern machinery, and magic which would have occurred hand in hand during the period within which the story was set.

The main characters, ie the Romeo and Juliet roles are just part of an ensemble cast of main characters. I can understand the use of real historical characters but whey these particular characters who were never contemporaries of each other?  I found this confusing, and distracted me from the story proper – call me a traditionalist but I like things in their place and not messed with.  That said take an historic story or element as a base and add modern characters to it then you are golden,

Maybe it was because of their age but I didn’t really identify with either of these two characters who did not live up to expectations and unfortunately came across as 2-dimensional characters.  I wasn’t totally convinced of their love story either. I did love the Shadow master though.  He was an intriguing mysterious character just as the author wrote him.

There was a certain wit and humour in this novel that was often obscured and therefore not easily identified as fully.  The narrative was choppy in places and the whole story seemed to be bogged down by the superfluous characters that had little or no back story and added very little to the storyline.  Another element that slowed the whole story down were the numerous subplots and the additional levels of intrigue, treachery, deceit, power, and ambition especially in the second half of the book.

The beginning of the novel had real promise yet the second half appeared to have no idea where it wanted to go.  It seemed to me that the author was trying to throw so much of everything into this part of the book and made it a confusing muddle.  Although people have said that they liked the ending as it was a reflection of the authors humour; and that the author left some elements for the reader’s interpretation.  This particular reader found the ending was rather rushed, a bit confusing, and not really an ending at all but instead a nice set up for a sequel. That said the book held my interest enough so that I did finish it.

I am not sure whether I enjoyed this book but if steampunk, sci fi and alternative universes then this could well be the book for you.  Give it a try and find out for yourself.

I would like to add that I was given an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review but something happened and my kindle deleted it and the author was kind enough to send me a second copy.  So kudos to the author for that; and I am sorry my review could not be more flattering.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review

I rated this 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (3 stars).

Who really wants to be a fly on the wall now?

Blurb:

Starlet's Web, book one of The Starlet Series by Carla Hanna is a memoir of fictitious Hollywood teenage starlet Liana Marie. Seventeen-year-old Liana is on top of her game and has an Oscar to prove it.  However, her success, like several in Hollywood, has a big price tag.  It is not wasy balancing the life of being a teenager and being a big star.  She is trying to live her life the best way she can, hooking up with some cute boys along the way, and fighting off unwanted advances.  Then she realises that she is and always has been in love with her best friend, Manuel, a boy she has known since childhood.  Fortunately, Liana has her mum, who has been in the same business for a long time, to guide her; that is, until her mother's best intentions have catastrophic results.

Review:

I thought this book was a bit too adult to be classed as young adult; but then again these are the sorts of things that late teenagers are experiencing these days and it would be short-sighted of me to liken the experiences in this book to my experiences as a young adult.  But parents please be aware that there are sexual references, and explicit language in this book, together with drug abuse and normal teenage angst experienced through the eyes of the 17/18 year old main protagonist.

It is nice to see this side of the ‘lovies’ industry, and as you would expect, to some degree she is quite self-centred but wants out of the industry but keeps getting pulled back in by her mother and her dedication to her staff.  This novel shows both the up side and down side of fame and fortune.  It also shows that sometimes actions taken with best intentions can result in the worst outcomes.

The main protagonist is a fairly usual teenager despite the Hollywood bent but her character, and indeed the majority of the characters, need more development.  To be honest there are too many male characters treating the man protagonist list a piece of meat.  She needs to decide who she wants to be with and stick to it.  It appears that she is definitely a fly in the web of Hollywood.

There are also great monologues that occur in this novel which are equally unrealistic and overdramatic using language that is not age appropriate.

The sexual references make up a lot of the book and the man protagonist has to deal whether should she do it or whether she should she abstain and the pressures resulting from either of these choices.  I feel that these continued references were overboard and unnecessary. 

The story really just skimmed the surface of the story and although the medical twist was unrealistic this reader loved it, making me want to continue with the series to discover the consequences of this decision.  The secret was imaginative and very frightening, who in real life would go to those lengths … to find out what the reveal was you will need to read the book.  However, it does show the lengths to which some show business/pushy mothers will go to keep in the game.  I am sure these issues will be revised and revisited in later books in the series

Sadly there are some grammatical and editorial errors that occur frequently in this book.  The main one being that when some is mentioned you will see that name constantly and then pages later the author would introduce the character and explain who they were as if this was a totally new, unmentioned character. 

All in all this is a light fun read which some good elements but more attention needs to be paid to character development and plot cohesion.  It is written in a chatty descriptive style and is ideal for the beach.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 2 stars on Netgalley and 'It was OK' on Goodreads (2 stars) and Amazon (3 stars).

Who is seducing who?

Blurb:

Investigator Tristan Bonnaud has one aim in life - to make sure that his half-brother, George, can't ever ruin his life again.  When Lady Zoe Keane, the twenty-one year old daughter of the Earl of Olivier, shows up demanding that the Duke's men find a gypsy woman.  Tristan seizes the chance to hunt for his gypsy horse trader friend, who might know secrets about George that he can use against him.  But along the way, Tristan discovers unexpected Keane family secrets, but will they stop him from falling for the woman who will risk all to discover the truth.

Review:

Although this is the third book in the series and there are references to related characters in the first two books this novel can be read as a stand-along book.  It may be that reading the previous books will enhance the enjoyment of the subsequent books.  I did however, read this as a stand-alone book and that is how my review has been written.

The backdrop of this particular novel was interesting and not expected.  The writing was alright but not great and this reader was not particularly drawn in by these characters.  Zoe was intelligent and strong despite the prejudices she faced due to her back story but Tristan was a bit flat.  As expected these two characters initially got on each other’s nerves which did produce some witty banter that felt genuine but eventually, well you know the formula.

The addition of the secondary characters provided additional mystery and colour; and, I am sure, will provide the subject of future books in the series.

This book has just the right amount of everything, romance, drama, intrigue, secrets; a hero, heroine and the ubiquitous villain.  All that said though some of the scenes in this book are just too contrived to be true, a definite case of cause and effect.

It is a quick, light, fast read so is therefore perfect to read on the beach.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'It was OK' on Amazon (3 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).

Where else could you be safe

Blurb:

For as long as she could remember, Becca dreamed of a dominant man to take her in hand, and Zac, the handsome Marine she met at her sister's wedding, filled the role with aplomb ... for a weekend. Then the fling cane to an end, Zac went off to war and died for his country, and Becca learned she carried a child who would be born without a father.

Seven years later, the now thirty-two year old Becca has done her best to move on and forget about Zac ... until the day she walks into her kitchen to find the man she believed she would never see again locked in mortal combat with her son's nanny, and realises everything she thought she knew about Zac was a lie.

Like all Black Ops agents, Zac doesn't exist in any government record.  His life is a series of deadly missions, and relationships of any kind are unsanctioned.  But he keeps one secret.  He watches over Becca, the beautiful daughter of a rogue agent, and Parker, the six-year-old boy he fathered that fateful weekend.  When he spots a known assassin in their apartment posing as a nanny, he's forecd to reveal himself and take them to safety ... whether Becca like it or not.

Review:

A fairly decent story with a black-ops operative.  There is a paranormal element which creates the father-son relationship but it's a bit too over the top.

The whole essence of the story was really a miss for me as yet again the woman is someone with little or no morals you would probably do what the female lead did in this book.  However, any girl with a moral compass wouldn’t but hay this is fiction, after all.  Plus for being an educated woman (she is a teacher after all of which we are constantly reminded) she does do some pretty stupid things which left me thinking ‘what were you thinking!'

There is no real back and forth between the couple, or the usual getting to know each other.  All the drama in this novel comes from outside influences, some of which are seriously far-fetched.  Plus she forgives him for his misdemeanour way too quickly for my liking.

The main kink in this book is spanking which rather surprised me to be honest.  There was also a touch of domestic discipline.  Some of the scenes were hot and steamy but there was one part of the novel that could have been oh so much more instead of what it was (quite a let-down really).  In short this novel seemed all too contrived and quick.  And with such formulaic books there is as always the typical HEA ending.

This book is different from normal erotic romances and not what I was expecting.  Given what I said above it did keep me reading to the end.  Will I read another on Mss Rose’s books?  That I am not sure about but why not give it a go and decide for yourself.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 3 stars on Netgalley and 'it was OK' on Good reads (2 stars) and Amazon (3 stars).

What you have to go through to clear your name

Blurb:

A DESPERATE FATHER

Only one thing matters to Caleb O'Malley: his daughter. Framed for his wife's murder, Caleb's only wish is to see his little girl. But Noelle Whitman, his daughter's foster mother, isn't buying his plea of innocence until bullets start flying and they're running for their lives. Staying one step ahead of the real killer proves nearly impossible, but former SWAT cop Caleb will risk everything to keep them safe. Because now there is nothing more important than Noelle and his daughter—not his freedom, not even his life.

SWAT: Top Cops—Love in the line of duty.

Review:

I am not against a Christian themed book (being a Christian myself) but there is a time and a place for it and this novel was not it.  I know some Christians pray at a drop of a hat but the ones included here did not read as sincere prayers and did nothing to the plot at all.  Other than the prayers there was no other mention that Noelle was a Christian apart from visiting church there does not seem to be much else religious about the way she runs her life.  These two elements do not a Christian make.

A flat novel with dim characters whose motivation lies flat.  If Noelle had had a terrible experience at the hands of a male before; she is way too trusting of this strange male (recently released from prison) that she does not know.  He is the same too.

The female lead is very mercurial (even at 8% of the book read) and is not a very likeable character.  The child is really annoying too.  The saving grace is Caleb and even he is a bit hollow.

There were elements that felt rushed such as Noelle’s previous experience and the first murder.  It would have made such a better story if we had more details of these incidents and then perhaps the reader could more readily identify with the characters.

The addition of prayers etc is not realistic and seems false.  The way he converts so easily also feels false.

I did keep going until the end just to find out who the killer was because it was sussed by the male hero.

A quick easy read with little thought required.  If you want more than a surface friendly read this book is not for you but ideal for a holiday.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 2 stars on Netgalley and 'I was OK' on Amazon (3 stars) and Goodreads (2 stars).

Now and That Night

Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, were wrongly convicted of the murder of her younger sister.

Seventeen years later, she's out on parole and back in her hometown, but she's struggling to adjust to a new life on the outside. Ryan is convinced he can uncover the truth; her mother still doesn't believe Toni's innocent; and the former high school girls who made Toni's life miserable may have darker secrets than anyone can imagine. Before Toni can move forward, she must take a terrifying step back to her past to find out the truth and clear her name, before it's too late.

Fast-paced, gripping and thought-provoking, That Night is a breathtaking thriller that you'll never forget.


Review:
Initially this book felt more like a Young Adult book than a Mystery & Thrillers book.   I think that this is because there was no maturity to the main character, who I took a bit of a disliking to.  Even after spending an amount of time in prison she still seems to act the same age as when she went in.  I did not really connect with her even when she was being bullied at any of the three locations which seemed a bit too much to be honest.  Having been bullied myself, in middle school, it does not stand to reason that you will be bullied in all stages of life like this character.  I understand that the author is trying to bring bullying into focus but these scenarios ring false.  I did like Ryan however.

To start with I found this book a tad confusing – constantly sliding from the present to the past and back again.  Then all of a sudden it a falls into place and finally the pace increased.  So much so that I was still reading when it became light and as I was over tired I had to put the book down to get some sleep.  Yet on waking with a headache through lack of sleep I immediately reached for the book again to see what happen.

The plot was so obvious and predictable that we all knew that the main culprit did the deed but not the surprising reveal!.  To find this out you will have to read the book.

However, there just seems to be too much padding.  The writing is not great but I said earlier this is probably a reflection of the youth of today; their stamina and education level as the sentence structure is poor in places.  That said there are some nice flourishes and some instances that make the reader sit up and pay more attention.

I have already said that I did not like the female lead and the other characters were also dislikeable (but that is what the author intended) though did she intend for her characters to be two dimensional with only a few nice elements.

This book is OK it is not great as there is just something missing but I can’t place my finger on what.  So this is an easy read, ideal for the beach where you want something entertaining but nothing that you need to think about.  So save if for then or a rainy day and when you do read it enjoy.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

I rated this 4 stars on Netgalley and 'I liked it' on Amazon (4 stars) and Goodreads (3 stars).